So I can see there is a ton of information available (relatively) about swapping the EJ22 into EA81 Brats.  Especially in that page on numbchuxconversions.com, makes it seem like a piece of cake.

I want to swap an EJ22 and 5MT into my Brat out of an old legacy, but for some reason the very few I have been able to find in the area have the auto transmission, and if I don't start my Brat swap soon, it just isn't going to happen.  I'm working on a budget, so I'm not about to start buying parts individually, I just want the whole car.

 

I'm wondering how much more difficult it would be to use the EJ25 SOHC, because there are loads of those for sale around here for really good deals.  I know about the head gasket issues, I'd of course take care of that before putting the motor in, just finished doing it on my 02 legacy.  

 

The Brat would absolutely fly with that 2.5, so my question is why does nobody use those?  Is it significantly more difficult? Does it just not fit properly? 

 

Thanks guys.

 

To fit any dohc subaru engine in the ea81 chassis you have to notch the chassis rails on both sides of the engine by roughly an inch,along with removing or relocating the hill holder mechanism.

If you can find a SOHC 2.5 it should be exactly the same as doing a 2.2. It will be an obd 2 wiring setup but that has been done and is thought to be a better way to go. The only real problem you might have is using the EJ trans because if I remember correctly it is 25 spline and the Brat is 23 so you have to make a custom axle to fit or at least swap the stubs in the trans.

It's true, the DOHC engines are too big to fit in an EA81 chassis without modification. The Phase 2 SOHC (like that 2.5) heads are larger than the phase 1 heads, which I know do fit. So.....I dunno 

 

Someone must have tried it!

 

 

Other than that, it'll be pretty much identical to most OBDII setups.

Hmm... I guess I'll just have to try it then.  Sounds like an electrical headache, but it could be worth it.  Not excited about frankensteining the axles, sure it would be expensive to have someone do them for me.  But replacing tranny stubs sounds like an PITA as well, i read that the stubs from my dr4mt tranny won't fit in the 5MT out of a legacy/forester anyways.

 

I've already deleted that stupid hill holder valve, the thing busted open as I was going down a hill towards an intersection, wasn't my finest moment.

 

Well, the way it looks I'll be going with a sohc 2.5 then.  I'll probably want to do something about the suspension with all that extra power, anyone have cheap ideas for that?